‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ Narrows Casting Search for Finnick Odair

One of the big casting decisions for 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' (as it is now so artfully titled) is the role of Finnick Odair, a survivor of previous games who's called back in for one more fight. Supposedly the choice is down to three actors: Armie Hammer, Garrett Hedlund, and Taylor Kitsch.

This comes from E!, who also note that there could be an unknown who comes in to grab the role. E! strikes us as a modestly reliable source for this info.

If Kitsch gets it, it could be a lifeline. Though he was amazing on 'Friday Night Lights', he's coming off of two duds with 'John Carter' and 'Battleship.'It's hard to say if they'll be career killers, but he would need this role more than anyone else - though if  he gets the role and the film underperforms, they'll say he's cursed.

Hammer would be coming off of 'The Lone Ranger,' and - all things considered - this would be the safer franchise to make an appearance in. He's been courting mainstream success but also Oscar bait, so he would seem to need this less.

Similar things could be said of Hedlund, who may have been a disappointment in 'Tron: Legacy,' but is rebounding (at least artistically) with his turn in 'On the Road.' From what E! is saying we should hear about the final decision some time in the next week.